Ignite His Heart
by flowinthestream12
Summary: It has been a few years since the war ended. Mai and Zuko are now engaged. Mai tries to calm her fiancé down after his difficult training session by dancing for him.
1. Changed & Unchanged

Mai swept her raven hair, satin to the touch, into a bun at the top of her head with a maroon ribbon. It has been a few years since the war was ended. Firelord Ozai was imprisoned along with his daughter Azula, who was once considered a friend to Mai. Mai's signature bangs had grown out to match the length of the rest of her hair as she grew out of her shell over the passing years. The new Firelord's fiancé was watching the practice match between him and Avatar Aang. Much has changed for them all. For instance, Mai had just finished a belly dance session with the Avatar's wife, Katara.

One thing that has changed the littlest of all ... was Zuko's temper. Mai slanted her eyebrows upward in empathy when Zuko lashed out at Aang, unleashing his frustration by stomping his foot in front of the other and sending a funnel of flames barring down towards Aang. Aang twirled in the air, more graceful than a falling feather, and easily killed the fire with the breath of life. Zuko growled in defeat.

Zuko was now barely a hair from reaching six feet tall. His black hair had grown past his shoulder blades. His scar was all that had remained unchanged as he grew into the young man Mai could call her own. The Avatar had grown taller than Zuko, much to the Firelord's annoyance. But, Zuko was visibly more fit than Aang, whom was still quite thin.

This was partly due to how much time Zuko spent training when he wasn't fuming over plans to help heal the ravaged world. Aang closed the distance between himself and Zuko, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder, "Easy, my good friend. It's only a game."

Zuko shrugged Aang's hand off, "You don't have to regain the respect of an _entire_ nation, Aang. Let alone the whole world. No one understands what I'm going through!"

Mai strained her ears to hear what they were saying from behind the pillar she using as a hiding place. She peered around the polished wood surface and watched her fiancé stomp up the wooden staircase, heading to their bedroom. Zuko has yet to move into his father's quarters. Mai understood why he was hesitating. She hoped that one day he would be able to accept what his father had done to him and move forward.

Aang spotted her and waved his long, thin hand at her, "Hi, Mai! Were you watching us train?"

Mai gasped at being discovered and tucked a lock of hair that had slipped out of her bun behind her ear as she approached the Avatar, "Don't tell Zuko."

Aang's perpetual-cheerfulness used to drive Mai up a wall. But, now that she has let her guard down more and more, she found it endearing. He was such a good friend to Zuko. The Firelord needed the Avatar's guidance.

"I'm going to go check on him," Mai said after a few moments of awkward silence. "It's nice to have you all visiting us this week."

Aang bowed, his knuckles at the base of his flattened hand, "I'll see you both at dinner."

Mai bowed her head and followed the way Zuko had exited the training grounds. Her burgundy skirt lapped around her ankles, her exposed hips swaying elegantly from side to side as she patted down the marble hallway towards their bedroom. She was wearing a wide wrapping of gold and burgundy cloth around her bosom, which she discretely supported by crossing her arms over her stomach to keep them from bouncing too much in case she passed anyone. Mai slowed to a stop before the enormous ornate double doors beyond which she could hear Zuko practicing fighting poses.

Mai wracked her brain for something to distract Zuko. She realized that she was still wearing her dance outfit and a grin spread across her pale lips. A certain deviousness glinting in her almond shaped tawny eyes. She hoped Zuko was in the mood to be pleasured.


	2. Love Ignited

Mai called upon her childhood impassiveness to ready herself for whatever Zuko was doing in there. She pushed the heavy door open with her thin arm to slip inside. Zuko had his back to her. He had his feet set widely apart from each other so that his strong legs were bent. One arm was extended before him and the other was fisted by his ribcage. Mai smelled smoke and saw it curling around Zuko's extended hand.

He drew his aching feet back together to stand upright. Zuko drooped his head, his glossy black hair curtaining his handsome face. Mai glanced up at the banisters and leapt up towards one with her hands outstretched. As quietly as possible, Mai gripped the wooden banister and swung herself backward, flipping in the air till she landed with a soft _thud _on top of the banister. Zuko flinched at the noise and Mai carefully laid down on her side on the banister, propping her head up with one hand.

She laid this way so that when Zuko noticed she was with him, he would see her hips that had grown wider although she was still quite thin. The pair of them were a few months shy of turning twenty years old. Mai was done growing at five-foot-six while Zuko was steadily catching up with Aang. Zuko quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw that one of the double doors was cracked open. Mai remained as still as stone, desperately fighting against the urge to laugh.

Zuko cursed under his hot breath, grumbling about paranoia. That nearly killed Mai's playful mood. She rested her head on the wood, letting the arm that had been holding her up stretch above her. She watched Zuko climb onto their bed and grinned as his tense jaw relaxed. Mai's ribbon holding her hair in a bun slipped out of its knot and floated to the marble floor below.

Zuko sat up, watching it fall and Mai decided that it was time to reveal herself, "Little further up, honey."

Zuko glared up in the direction of where he had heard her voice and grumbled, "How long were you up there?"

Mai frowned at him, "Not long, Zuko. Come on, aren't you surprised?"

Zuko fell back onto the pillow, "I hate surprises."

"If life doesn't have a few surprises, why bother living?" Mai scoffed.

Zuko closed his golden eyes, "That's what I was just thinking about."

Mai sat up on the banister, her raven hair billowing around her, squinting down at him, "I hate it when you talk like that, Zuko."

Zuko sighed and tilted his head so that he could look up at her beauty, "I'm sorry."

Mai propelled herself off the banister, over the frame of their canopy bed and landed with her feet on either side of his legs, looming over him, "I'm going to _make_ you sorry."

Zuko smirked and stroked her smooth, skinny calves, "I love it when you're angry. That eruption of passion ... it ignites my entire being."

Mai flipped her hair over to one shoulder and sank down till she was sitting on his abs. Zuko raised his large hands and she entwined her skinny fingers in his. She smiled while he stroked the engagement ring on her left hand. It was a golden ornate band with a glinting red diamond in the center.

"But, I hate to make you _sad_." Zuko admitted quietly, gazing up into her eyes. "I'm sorry -"

Mai interrupted him with a kiss, then she hovered over him, "I want to show you something."

Mai reached to grab the dual swords set like an X on the nightstand by the large canopy bed, intentionally brushing his chest with her breasts. She held the large, deadly blades in either hand. Mai got to her feet and sprung into the air, flipping backwards over the frame of the canopy bed and landing gracefully on the ground with her arms stretched out on either side of her, the blades gleaming in the sun's light setting beyond the high windows.

"Give me a beat, Zuko." Mai said sultrily, dropping one sword onto the floor and laying the other on top of her head.

Zuko began patting the decorative comforter that wasn't as soft as the luxurious blankets beneath it. Mai held her hands parallel to her hips as she began an interior hip circle to the beat Zuko was creating, without disturbing the balancing sword on top of her head. Zuko watched her and Mai could detect that his interest was increasing. Mai twisted herself so that her side was facing him, the sword barely wiggling on her head. She gave him a vertical hip circle and, when Zuko began patting the comforter rapidly, Mai smiled and began shimmying her hips.

She stomped on the ground, sending the sword on her head high into the air and landing handle-first in her hand. Mai scooped up the fallen sword and kicked it up to land in her free hand. Mai danced before Zuko, snaking the dual swords around her slender body. She stuck her chest out and shook her shoulders for him, causing a certain area on her chest to bounce. Mai flipped her long black hair forward and back once, undulating her flat stomach.

Zuko froze, enraptured by her seductive dance. Mai grinned over her shoulder and flipped back onto the bed, stopping barely an inch from slicing his throat with the blades crossed like an X close to his neck. He admired her control even in this moment of passion. But, he wanted her to unleash her passion upon him. Both of them were panting.

Zuko watched her place the dual swords back on the nightstand. Mai made hip circles while sitting on his stomach, her long burgundy skirt fanned out over her pale, skinny legs. She grabbed his trembling hands and placed them on her hips so that he could feel her muscles and bones moving beneath her porcelein skin.

"If this is what you'll do whenever I misbehave," Zuko breathed, "I hope you'll get used to my temper."

Mai smiled and kissed him deeply, "I'll always love you, Zuko. Every part of you," she then playfully ruffled his silky black hair, "Even if lots of them drive me crazy."

Zuko chuckled and cupped her face, bringing her soft lips down to his.


End file.
